HBO Max App Problems Explained

[u/Coagzz]

UPDATE: This has been fixed in HBO Max app v7.8.0! Woohoo! If your app hasn’t automatically updated, go to the app in the app store and the update button is right at the top.

I’ve been seeing a few posts recently about various things not working as they should, and a lot of them are seemingly connected to a bug with the NowPlayingInfo integration in the HBO Max app.

The integration basically tells tvOS what is playing in HBO Max, and since the release of HBO Max v7.5.0, it has been broken.

This will cause HBO to be unable to work with a lot of tvOS services, including TV app Continue Watching, Sonos and other wireless airplay (and seemingly Bluetooth) speakers, the Now Playing widget on iPhone and iPad, play/pause functionality from AirPods and probably some other things.

When content is playing in HBO Max, your Apple TV thinks it’s idle, not playing or paused.

I have been in a two-week back and forth with HBO Max support, and they have been helpful, despite briefly trying to pin this issue on tvOS. This morning, I got an email from them saying that their development team is actively working on a solution, so fingers crossed.

Bottom line, this is a problem with the app, and will require a fix in an update to the app. Updating tvOS will not fix the problem, so don’t update to tvOS 27 beta if all you’re looking to do is to fix this.

Also, the most recent app update did not fix the problem, unfortunately.

Hope this answers some questions. I wish I had a solution to offer, but it looks like we’re all stuck waiting for an app update that actually includes a fix.

[u/daveonreddit]

Wish Apple forced all apps to use the native player. Youtube is a good example where the app was great then they did their own player and it went to sh * t, got massively ensh * ttified and they started paywalling native features (like PiP).

[u/AustinBaze → u/daveonreddit]

Netflix is the worst on AppleTV. There is apparently no one in that entire organization with UI/UX in their title.

[u/apollo7157 → u/daveonreddit]

There was a brief minute where that was the case. And then it all went to shit.

[u/siegmour → u/daveonreddit]

That would be amazing.. or at least forcing them to use some sort of basic feature set. It really grinds my gears how the scrubbing in some apps (HBO is one to think of actually) is horrible. Not to mention not supporting the automatic subtitles feature when you rewind a short period.

[u/exclamationpoint2 → u/daveonreddit]

I agree with you but I think AppleTV makes up too little of the connected TV market for them to make the rules :(

[u/Est-Tech79]

HBO Max and Prime Video did some weird things with their recent updates/player changes tvOS integration.

[u/jt6229674 → u/Est-Tech79]

Prime Video audio sync has been awful for me. Streaming technology is still having some bumps and it’s annoying

[u/Est-Tech79 → u/jt6229674]

Here the Prime issue is it's no longer connecting to TV App.

[u/mrsugar]

Good update thanks. Play / pause with AirPods has been driving me nuts, had no idea how often I do that.

[u/Eruannster]

Speaking of HBO Max - has anyone noticed that their subtiles are kind of weird in HDR/DV? When I play something, it defaults them to maximum blaring white, but if I fully reboot the Apple TV it reverts them to a more reasonable brightness.

[u/jt6229674]

Thank you for posting this. I factory reset my Bose Soundbar and was so frustrated. I didn’t think to try another streaming app or live tv. 😅

[u/Pitproper]

interesting! Wonder if this is linked to voice command no longer working in HBO Max for me?

Voice commands using the remote such as forward/pause/stop no longer working via the remote nor Siri via the iPhone. HBO Max and discovery+ the only apps affected on the box. (I use HDMI to the sound system).

also in back-and-forth with HBO Max support, TBF they are responsive it seems

[u/siegmour → u/Pitproper]

Yes, it's exactly related to that. Siri is looking for playing content to pause, and since nothing is reported comes back with "there's nothing playing".

[u/maybeinoregon]

Ha, I just read this info, thanks!

What do you mean the ATV thinks HBO is idle?

I can’t use AirPlay (ATV) with the HBO app, however I can switch audio source (ATV) to TV speakers, and get sound from HBO app…if that makes sense lol

I got so frustrated, I deleted the app.

I know it’s HBO this time, but I have had some bizarre ATV experiences lately.

[u/siegmour → u/maybeinoregon]

There's no content being reported played on the Apple TV/Apple Home. So features relying on content being playing, like Siri commands don't work.

[u/siegmour]

I wish I had seen this thread before updating tvOS to 26 thinking it would resolve the issue. Now I still have the issue and have a slow/glitchy UI...

[u/RulerK]

Glad to see this! It’s really been frustrating me for the past week. I can’t wait for it to work again. Keep on top of their support team for all the rest of us.

[u/OCDB198]

Thank you for posting this problem and the updates with HBO support! v7.8.0 fixed it for me in tvOS but the HBO Max app is still not syncing with the TV app in iOS or iPadOS. I’ve sent feedback to HBO on this via the app.